Ballybeen - City Hall

Route - 4

Ballybeen to City Hall

It was a slow bus journey up the Newtownards Road, we got stuck behind an elderly cyclist and the trip took ages – laws should be passed to keep old-age cyclists and runners off our roads.  

We followed the Comber Greenway (aka the old Comber railway) into town.  It’s a smashing route to run along and we had masses of cyclists and walkers for company.   Not much to report for the first few miles, we just trotted along happily looking for evidence of the old railway stations; it does not take much nowadays to interest Brain and me.  

I’m a bit of a Van Morrison fan, so we made a brief detour to St Donard’s Church which was immortalised in the song On Hyndford Street. 

Belfast loves heroes and close by was a street named after the Everton manager.

Today’s tea stop, Lindores at Holywood Arches, was excellent.  We (Brian especially) had a lot to eat and we meet up with Craig – another runner pretending to be at work.  After lunch we had more cups of tea in the tiny backyard of the cafe.  I particularly like their artificial grass.

Two men in hats.

Back on the road again, we had another Van the Man encounter.

Four men in caps.

Then it was into the city via the Lagan footbridge.  I’d never noticed the proliferation of padlocks here. Brian, who knows about these type of things, said it’s all something to do with love.  All I know is that flowers work best with women and one day a Belfast locksmith is going to get very rich when the hundreds of padlocks have to be removed to allow the bridge to be repainted.

We ended the day watching a real funny dog performance.  This is Riley who comes to the fountains at the Albert Clock to play.  He waits patiently for the water to begin spouting, and then goes bonkers when the jets start.  Brilliant entertainment, they could sell tickets for people to watch this.

Four Winds - City Hall

Route – 7

Four Winds to City Centre

Just two of us today; so more history chat and less fast running.

Brian and I travelled up into the Castlereagh Hills and started with a lap of the roads around Knockbracken golf course.  Soon we left the public highway and were on the delightful path down towards Lisnabreeny – in a few years this route will be part of the new Connswater Greenway, stretching all the way to Victoria Park.

We went through a tunnel under Manse Road and entered Cregagh Glen.  Another of Belfast’s hidden gems and great place to run, especially if you like going downhill.

This memorial on the Cregagh Rd commemorates William McFadzean who was awarded a VC at the Somme.  He apparently threw himself on top of a pile of exploding grenades to save his colleagues.

Next stop was 16 Burren Way, the former home of George Best.  Brian, a lifelong Man City fan, declined to be in this photograph.

We managed to get into Ravenhill undetected but decided against a lap of the pitch.   I only been there once for a match and got evicted, not for hooliganism but because of safety concerns about high winds toppling the old temporary grandstand.  My friend Paul and I lived to tell the tale. 

Then it was a run through Ormeau golf course – did you know that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once played there?

Going down the Ormeau Road, we stopped at the site of the old North cricket ground.  I’m trying to research an early international match played there, in which the England team included the oddly named Julius Caesar and R Daft.

Next door is the old Belfast Gas Works.  My father, as a young boy, was once brought there to walk over beds of smoking coke to cure his whooping cough – it worked!

Brian and I finished with coffee at the busy Cafe Avanzo, also surrounded by fumes, this time from the new fad of electronic cigarettes.